Education BriefsRecently declassified FBI records reveal Howard Zinn was an active member of the Communist Party, attended Brooklyn meetings five nights a week, and taught "basic Marxism" classes to his comrades. His most damaging legacy, however, is A People's History, a Marxist revision of U.S. history shot through with multicultural, feminist and class war propaganda. First published in 1980, the book is required reading in many high schools and universities and has sold almost two million copies.

Twenty-seven percent of public school students aged 12 to 17 say their schools have gangs, and that drugs are used, stored or sold on school grounds. The study was conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, based at Columbia University. (Education Week, 8-25-10)

Speaking at the Sustainability Education Summit, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan declared that preparing American children to "be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do." Duncan said federally subsidized programs will begin as early as kindergarten to teach children about climate change and continue through high school to prepare them to "contribute to the workforce through green jobs." (cnsnews.com, 9-23-10)

Conservative delegates to the 2010 NEA conference fear the largest teacher's union has grown more entrenched in its pro-abortion stance. An amendment that would have required the union to take a "no position" stance on abortion failed with 70% of delegates opposed, up from 60% opposed at the 2009 assembly. (Teachers Saving Children, August 2010 newsletter)